Skate



UNITE@ STATES PATIENT FFIQE.

N. YV. CAMP, OF TRETON. NEXV JERSEY.

SKATE.

Specification of Letters latent No. 32,750, dated July 9, 1861.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, N. IV. CAMP, of rIrenton, in the county of Mercer,in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention has for its object a skate which shall be capable ofyielding perfectly to the uneven surfaces over which it may pass and atthe same time allow the foot of the wearer to assume under varyingcircumstances the natural and varying positions without cramping. Manyattempts have been made to accomplish these ends, in a practical anduseful manner, but none have, to my knowledge, been as successful as themethod which I have conceived and practically applied. In someinstances, a rigid runner has been employed in connection with springs,or an elastic sole; in other instances, a double or divided runner hasbeen used in connection with a stock formed of two rigid sections hingedtogether; and in other instances a flexible stock has been employed inconnection with a runner formed of two parts hinged, or jointedtogether, but all of these methods of arriving at the results embracedbymy invention, embrace practical objections and thus fail to accomplishthe desired ends.

My invention consists in the employment of a double runner, or ruimerconsisting of two separate and independent portions, as will beexplained, in combination with a flexible or elastic stock or shoe solein the manner hereinafter fully described.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invent-ion, I willproceed to explain the construction and operation of my improved skate,referring by letters to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification; and, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention as applied to a ladys gaiter or boot. Fig. Q. is a verticalsection of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the skatedetached from the boot.

In the different figures the same letter indicates the same part of theapparatus.

A. is a gaiter or shoe of the ordinary fashion; in the sole a. of thisshoe, I propose to insert (between the inner and outer sole) theflexible metallic plate b. to which are suitably secured the twoport-ions B and B of the runner; these two runner pieces, it will beseen, are each shaped and arranged as distinct runners, but one inadvance of the other, in the same plane, so as to constitute a doublebearing surface and in such manner that when the skate passes overuneven or rough surfaces the runner pieces B. and B. will operateindependently in connection with the flexible stock piece Z). andaccommodate themselves to said uneven surfaces, and naturally supportthe weight on the stocks while at the same time the stock and foot ofthe wearer can also yield freely to the distortion of the bearingsurface of runner, without being cramped.

I have illustrated at Fig. 3. the flexible stock l). and runner B. B.Separated from the shoe, and, in this condition, they fully embrace myinvention, and embody its advantages, in practical application when thestock l). is securely fastened to the sole of the skaters boot by anysuitable means, which will admit of said stock l). yielding as designed,with the bending of the wearers foot occasioned by varyingcircumstances. It will therefore be understood that my present inventionis not limited in its application to the insertion of the flexible plateb. in the sole a, of a boot as shown at Figs. l and 2 but may be usedindependently of such feature of application, without losing in anymanner its merit as to novelty or practical utility.

It will be seen and readily understood, that by the employment of twodistinct and disconnected runner pieces B. and B. arranged on a flexiblestock piece b. as shown and described the skate is made to possess thecapacity of always affording a bearing at each end of the foot, whenpassing over an uneven surface, while at t-he same time the foot towhich the stock piece b. is fastened is not cramped, or forced into anyunnatural positions. And these results, it will be observed are attainedwithout any complexity in the mechanism of the skate, (which is a fatalobjection in practice) or the employment of a single joint while theseveral parts are of the simplest form and put together in the ordinarymanner.

I am aware that the runner has been made in two distinct portions andalso that the stock has been made eXible and do not claim either ofthese elements.

I am also aware that a stock similar to the one I employ has beencombined with a runner made in two parts jointed together but thiscombination embodies a practical disadvantage arising from the liabilityof the joint of the runner becoming chocked and frozen up which rendersthe bending runner inoperative.

I am also aware that a runner formed of two distinct portions as minehas been combined with a stock of two pieces, hinged together, orconnected by springs but such combination embraces practical objections,in the inperfection of operation and liability of derangement besidesbeing as is also N. w. cAMP. [1.. Sg

Vxitnesses:

DAVID MILLEDGE, WVM. C. I-IowELL.

